4831
Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Investigation of Transition Metal Complexes. XII. Bisnaphthalene Complexes of Vanadium (0) , Chromium (I), Chromium (-I), and Chromium( -111) G . Hentici-Oliv6 and S . Olivh
Contribution from Monsanto Research S.A., Zurich, Switzerland. Received October 28, 1969 Abstract: Bisnaphthalene complexes of V(0) and Cr(1) (“sandwich complexes”) have been detected by epr spec-
troscopy, and their g values and hyperfine coupling constants have been measured. Comparison with the previously reported data for bisbenzene, bistoluene, and bismesitylene complexes shows that only one ring of each naphthalene is involved in the bonding. Two bisnaphthalene complexes of chromium in valence states lower than 0 have also been observed and spectroscopically characterized. Valence states -I and -111 are suggested based on epr evidence. In the present communication we wish to report on n a former communication‘ we showed that in bisnaphthalene and bisanthracene complexes of vanabisarene “sandwich” complexes of V(0) and Cr(1) dium and chromium in different valence states. The the coupling of the unpaired spin with the aromatic epr signals are perfectly in line with our former results hydrogen nuclei is virtually the same for the three arenes and should provide an experimental base for further investigated (benzene, toluene, and mesitylene) ; namely theoretical work on this type of compound. aH = 10.8 f 0.3 MHz for the V(0) complexes, and aH = 9.7 f 0.3 MHz for the Cr(1) complexes. Within Bisnaphthalene and Bisanthracene Complexes of V(0) the resolution capacity of the method, all ring hydrogen The reduction of VC1, with lithium naphthalide nuclei were found equivalent, and no methyl splitting (LiNp) in tetrahydrofuran (LiNp/VC13 = 3) leads to a was observed. Also the g value, 1.987 for both the dark, homogeneous solution which exhibits the epr V(0) (second-order correction applied ; apparent g signal represented in Figure 1. The epr spectroscopic value, 1.992; the corrected value in ref 1 is erroneous) parameters aH, av, and g are identical with those and the Cr(1) species, as well as the interaction of the mentioned above, thus indicating strongly the forunpaired spin with the metal nucleus in the case of the mation of a bisarene complex. Number and intensity V(0) complexes (av = 175 f 3 MHz) were found to be independent of the arene molecule. Thus the bisarene distribution of the hydrogen hyperfine lines show that only one ring of each of the two naphthalene molecules complexes of V(0) and Cr(1) may be said to be exis in interaction with the metal. This is best seen perimentally defined by the data given above. Several suggestions have been made as to how from the second-derivative representation, Figure IC unpaired spin density is delocalized to such a con(2 X 4hydrogens,9lines, 1:8:28:56:70:56:28:8:1). The presence of a bisnaphthalenevanadium(0) comsiderable extent onto the aromatic hydrogens: by plex could unequivocally be confirmed by the epr by out-of-plane bending of the hydrogen atoms; direct overlap of metal orbitals with ring protons spectrum of the complex prepared from perdeuterated (“through space coupling”) ; or by metal-to-ligand LiNp; see Figure 2. The signal shows exactly the electron delocalization in u orbitals of the aromatic shape and line width as predicted by computer simucompound.1f4-5 lation. The simulated signal of Figure 2c was obRecent extended Huckel molecular orbital calculatained by varying the line width, for the given aH, tions of Prins and Reinders6 and of Drago, et ~ l . , ~ , * until best fit with the experimental signal, Figure 2a, have made it very probable that, at least in the cases was observed (Lorentzian line shape). For the signal of V and Cr complexes, the overlap of metal orbitals of Figure 2d this line width was maintained, and the with an extensively delocalized u molecular orbital hyperfine splitting constant aH was replaced by a D = of the aromatic compound is the most important ( g D / g H ) a H = 0.153aH. mechanism by which spin is placed on the hydrogen If the VC13 is reduced with lithium anthracenide nuclei. instead of LiNp, an epr signal identical with that shown in Figure 1, although with less intensity, is observed, indicating that the bisarene complex is also (1) G . Henrici-OlivC and S . OlivC, 2. Phys. Chem. (Frankfurt am formed with anthracene, making use only of one of the Main), 56, 223 (1967). outer rings of each molecule. ( 2 ) K. E. Schwarzhans, Angew. Chem., 81, 433 (1969). The formation of the bisarene complexes may be (3) H. P. Fritz, H. J. Keller, and K. E. Schwarzhans, 2.Nuturforsch. B, 22, 891 (1967). formulated (for the naphthalene case) as
I
l I 2
(4) R . D. Feltham, J . Inorg. Nucl. Chem., 16, 197 (1961). (5) M. F. Rettig and R. S . Drago, J . Amer. Chem. SOC.,91, 1361 (1969). (6) R. Prim and F. J. Reinders, Chem. Phys. Lett., 3, 45 (1969). (7) M. F. Rettig and R. S. Drago, J. Amer. Chem. SOC.,91, 3432 (1969). ( 8 ) S . E. Anderson and R. S. Drago, ibid., 91, 3656 (1969).
VCI3
+ 3LiNp +(CioH8)zV’’ + 3LiCI + C I O H ~
If LiNp is present in excess, bisnaphthalenevanadium(0) is further reduced and the epr signal disappears. U p to six further electrons may be taken up by the complex,
Henrici-Olive, Olivk / Epr Ineestigation of Transition Metal Complexes
4832
10grurr
Figure 1. Epr signal of bisnaphthalenevanadium(0) in THF, temperature 20": (a) total spectrum, (b) third and fourth lines a t higher dilution, (c) fourth line in second-derivative representation.
as demonstrated formerly9by hydrolysis and deuterolysis experiments. Bisnaphthalene Complexes of Cr(I), Cr( - I), and Cr( - 111) In contrast to the bisnaphthalenevanadium(O), the isoelectronic Cr(1) species cannot be obtained directly by adding the correct amount of LiNp (Li/Cr = 2). The epr signal of the Cr(1) complex (Figure 3a) is, however, observed if the CrC13 solution is added to an excess of LiNp (Li/Cr N 5), the reaction product is then hydrolyzed with a small amount of water (H20/Cr 'v 50), and the chromium is oxidized with O2 (the amount of O2 present in the water is mostly sufficient; excess oxygen should be avoided to prevent epr line broadening). The bisnaphthalenechromium(1) complex is identified by its epr spectroscopic data: g = 1.987, aH = 10.0 f 0.3 MHz (cf. the values reported in the first section of this paper). In the range of 5 2 Li/Cr 3 6 a relatively strong epr spectrum is observed (corresponding to some 30% of the chromium, assuming one unpaired electron per Cr). The spectrum appears at a somewhat lower field than that of the Cr(1) complex (see Figures 3b-d; the dotted line marks the place of the center of the Cr(1) signal in Figure 3a). N o LiNp signal appears, indicating that the LiNp is used up for further reduction of the Cr species; the resemblance of the epr spectra of Figures 3b-d to that of Figure 3a points to further reduced bisnaphthalene-chromium species. The aspect of the spectrum depends on the ratio Li/Cr. At Li/Cr = 5 two odd-numbered sets of lines may be discerned. This is seen especially well from the secondderivative representation on the right of Figure 3d, (9) G. Henrici-Olive and S . Olive, J . Orgunomefal. Chem., 9, 325
(1967).
Figure 2. Measured (a and b) and computer-simulated (c and d) epr signals of (CloH&VO and (CloD&VO,fourth line.
where the two sets are marked by 0 and X . The number of lines in each set cannot be determined exactly, since in this relatively well-resolved spectrum 53Cr satellite lines overlap with the outer lines of the main spectra, especially on the low-field side. However, the intensity distribution seems to be binomial and in line with that to be expected for bisnaphthalene complexes (compare the vanadium case). At a higher Li/Cr ratio the right-hand side of the spectrum gains importance, suggesting that the set of lines marked with X belongs to a more reduced species. At higher Li/Cr the lines also become broader, and much of the hyperfine structure gets lost. (This is not a concentration broadening effect, since dilution does not improve resolution.) As in the case of the vanadium, signals with the correct appearmce and line width are obtained if perdeuterated LiNp is used. The hyperfine structure from the aromatic deuterium nuclei is not resolved, and only one broadened line appears for each chromium species. At Li/Cr = 5 (Figure 4, signal a), the lowfield line predominates and the high-field line appears
Journal o f the American Chemical Society / 92:16 / August 12, 1970
4833
h
;/./
II
n
1
I
b
I
Figure 3. Epr spectra of bisnaphthalene complexes of chromium: (a) bisnaphthalenechromium(I), (b) signal at Li/Cr = 6.0, (c) signal at Li/Cr = 5.5, (d) signal at Li/Cr = 5.0; left = first-derivative, right = second-derivativerepresentation.
only as a shoulder. At Li/Cr = 6 (signal b), the lowand high-field lines have about the same intensity. The spectra of Figure 4 show, therefore, even more clearly than those of Figure 3 that the high-field part of the spectra belongs to a more reduced species, since it appears with higher relative intensity at higher Li/Cr ratio.
The two lines of the perdeuterated species are some 7 G apart and have g values of 1.995 and 1.990. The position of the low-field line is identical with that of the most intense line of the set marked with 0 in Figure 3d. The g value of the high-field line, however, indicates that in the set marked with X, not the apparently most intense, but the third marked line from the right must
Henrici-Olio&,Olivd
1 Epr Incestigation of Transition Metal Complexes
4834
Figure 4. Epr signals obtained with perdeuterated LiNp: Li/Cr = 5,(b)Li/Cr = 6.
(a)
be the central line. The true intensity distribution of this set is obviously somewhat masked by incomplete resolution. The epr spectroscopic data of the different Cr species are summarized in Table I, where the V(0) data are also Table I. Epr Spectroscopic Data of the Bisnaphthalene Complexesa Complex
g value
UH,
Npz-CrW Np,-Cr( - I) Np,-Cr( 111) Npz-V(O)
1.987 1.995 1.990 1.987
10.0 13.4 13.6 10.6
-
a
MHz
av, MHz
f 0.3
f 0.6 f 0.6 f 0.3
175 f 3
Temperature 20”.
included. The chromium complexes are specified as Npz-Cr(I), Np2-Cr( - I), and Npz-Cr( - 111). This specification needs some comment. The electronic configuration of a bisarene-chromium(I) complex as well as that of a bisarene-vanadium(0) complex is . .(e1u)4(e2g)4(alg)1,with the unpaired electron in the a1,(3dZ2) orbital. The lowest empty orbital is an ezu(ligand) orbital (see ref 6 and literature therein). Although calculated explicitly only for the bisbenzene complexes (D6h symmetry), this MO level ordering may also be taken as a fairly good first approximation for the bisnaphthalene-chromium(1) and the bisnaphthalene-vanadium(0) complexes, given the close similarity of the g values and the hyperfine constants (compare the first and last rows of Table I with the data given in the first section of the papers). On the other hand, the similarity of the epr spectroscopic data within the three observed Cr species strongly suggests a similar electronic population at the metal in each case. This requires that the more reduced species store the extra electrons provided by the LiNp in ligand orbitals. (This has already been suggested in ref 9, based on hydrolysis experiments.) ,
Fischer and Piesbergen lo reported that the bisarenechromium(0) complexes are diamagnetic. N o epr signal is to be expected; the electronic configuration is most probably . . .(a1g)2. Addition of another electron may lead to . . .(al,)1(ezu)2. The enu (ligand) level is assumed to be made up predominantly of the lowest antibonding A orbitals of the two naphthalene ligands. Sufficient overlap should be provided to cause the coupling of the two spins, particularly if the N p molecules are eclipsed. The . . .(alg)l(ezu)zconfiguration is assumed to be responsible for the set of epr lines marked with 0 in Figure 3d, which predominates at Li/Cr = 5 and corresponds formally to Np2-Cr( - I). The next electron leads to Npz-Cr( - II), which could have the following configurations: . . . (a1g)2(e2u)2, . . .(alg)1(ezu)3(singlet), or . . .(alg)l(e2J3 (triplet). From the first two configurations no epr signal is to be expected; in the last case zero-field splitting would most probably broaden the epr lines beyond observability. It is therefore suggested that the set of lines marked with X in Figure 3d represents Npz-Cr( - 111), which has the configuration (alg)l(e2J4. It should be noted that the presented epr evidence for the delocalization and pairing of the extra electrons in ligand orbitals corroborates the MO level ordering given by Prins and Reinders (alg < e,, < el,*), which otherwise was somewhat doubtful, according to the cited authom6 The smearing out of the hyperfine structure at Li/Cr > 5 may perhaps be due to the formation of even higher reduced chromium species. Hydrolysis and deuterolysis experiments reported earlierg have in fact shown that, as in the case of the bisnaphthalenevanadium complexes, up to six electrons [counted from Cr(O)] may be taken up by the chromium species. The negatively charged complexes of Cr as well of V are interesting intermediates, e.g., for the fixation and reduction of molecular nitrogen. 1, l 2 Experimental Section Solutions of the bisarene complexes were prepared adding the metal salt in THF (concentration 10-2-10-3 mol/l.) in an argon countercurrent to the solution in THF (concentration lo+mol/l.). A varian X-band spectrometer with 100-kHz field modulation was used for the epr measurements. The characteristic parameters ( g values, hyperfine coupling constants) were obtained by comparison with a standard sample of peroxylamine disulfonate ( g = 2.0055; UN = 13.0 f 0.1 G = 36.5 zk 0.3 MHz).
Acknowledgment. Thanks are due to Dr. G. R. Luckhurst, Department of Chemistry, University of Southampton, for helpful criticism, and to Varian A.G., Zurich, for permitting the use of the “Spectro System 100” for spectra simulation. (10) E. 0. Fischer and U. Piesbergen, 2. Naturforsch. B, 11, 758 ( 1956).
(11) G. Henrici-Olive and S . Olive, Angew. Chem., 79, 898 (1967); Angew. Chem., I n t . Ed. Engl., 6, 873 (1967). (12) G. Henrici-OlivC and S . Olive, Angew. Chem., 81, 679 (1969); Angew. Chem., Inr. Ed. Engl., 8, 650 (1969).
Journal of the American Chemical Society 1 92:16 1 August 12, 1970
